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There have been thousands of books and articles about leadership and capability to perform work. Yet despite the vast accumulation of literature on this topic few have identified the building blocks that define what leadership is when it is applied to an individual's capability to perform the work. The requisite organization system of management formulated over a sixty year period by the late [...]

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Did you read these two news stories? Story 1: Sun., June 3, 2008 By Chris Isidore, CNNMoney.com senior writer Automaker plans to shut 4 pickup and SUV plants, build more fuel-efficient vehicles, and may dump the Hummer brand. NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- General Motors announced plans Tuesday to shut four truck and SUV plants that employ thousands of workers. It also said high gas prices are [...]

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Have you ever wondered why no name products and house brands are often able to be sold at prices so far below the comparable national brands? Of course there are lower marketing and handling costs but there is often a larger factor in the pricing of the manufacturer to the retailer that results in the lower selling price to the consumer. Most businesses do not focus on what it takes to break [...]

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When you prepare a budget or forecast, ensure that the income statement, balance sheet and cash flow forecast interact, so that last minute changes in any one of them will flow through to the other document. Any person that receives the budget will be much more impressed if the document has all four essential parts to it: Earnings statement forecast Balance Sheet forecast Cash flow forecast [...]

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Whatever you do, don't hold your breath while waiting for marketing to take affect. Instead, hold your horses because it's not gonna happen instantly. How long does it take for a prospect to become a customer? Well, let's first look into the chemistry of prospects. Prospects are like you except that they're probably doing business with one of your competitors. Fortunately for you, that competitor[...]

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The following reviews some key concepts that are utilized in applying organizational design concepts to ensure that companies meet and surpass their objectives. What's the difference between responsibility & accountability? Responsibility refers to an obligation or judgment you place on yourself according to your own ideals and conscience. For example, as an employee, you may feel responsible [...]

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Many years ago I was listening to a tape series on sales and marketing by Brian Tracy and he said something so simple yet so profound that it has stayed with me for all these years. It was a concept that he referred to as the law of six. The Law of Six is a law in sales that says that there are and always will be six primary objections or reasons why people don't or won't buy what you are [...]

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Over the course of the next two months most businesses will have to file a tax return and most companies delegate this task to their external accountants, which is the way it should be, as it is far too complex to be done by anyone who is not an expert. However, that does not mean that you, as the owner or President of the business, cannot get value for the business out of the process. Remember [...]

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It's Monday morning and you are returning from an exhaustive one-week business trip while you were battling a flu bug. Your voice mail has ten messages that will have to be answered within the next few hours, e-mail is screaming for attention and you haven't had time to grab a coffee. All of this noise surrounds you but the most pressing issue is to prepare for the meeting that is scheduled with [...]

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After a few years, most businesses establish a set formula for determining their marketing budget, usually a fixed percentage of revenue. But when economic times get tough, it's time to make a few alterations. The mistake businesses make is to simply cut the marketing budget when they experience a downturn in revenue. Big no, no. In an effort to protect their bottom line, they are more likely to [...]

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